


Never Seek To Tell Thy Love

by nonbinaryARMY



Category: One Piece
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Trauma, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Nami helps because she is a bro, Nami is a good friend, Nami is awesome, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Post-Thriller Bark, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, Protective Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Public Humiliation, Rape/Non-con Elements, Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji Bickering, Sanji Needs a Hug, Sanji and Nami friendship, Sanji is gay, Sanji needs help, Vinsmoke Sanji-centric, Violence, Worried Vinsmoke Sanji, because duh, but he closeted, eventual LawSan, my poor baby, the non-con is for non-consensual filming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2020-07-23 03:50:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20001868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonbinaryARMY/pseuds/nonbinaryARMY
Summary: After taking a break on an island, Sanji and Nami are caught unawares by some powerful bounty hunters. During their imprisonment, the hunters reveal a secret Sanji had been fighting tooth and nail to keep quiet. What will his sweet Nami-san think of him after she finds out his secret?She's gonna hit him but not for the reason he thinks.





	1. Takes a liar to know a liar

**Author's Note:**

> I love Sanji. And I relate to him a lot. And something I did when I was younger was go to extreme lengths to make people believe that I was 100% straight and cis and that I wasn't different in any way.........that did not last and I was miserable ^ ^; I'm a lot happier now and have come to accept myself in all my nonbinary, pansexual nature. And I guess that fueled this idea that Sanji did sorta the same thing. Trying to come across as 100% straight because of the fear and pressure he got from his evil not-family (bar Reiju, she is a gem). And so...here this piece is! I hope it's good ^ ^; 
> 
> Also, title comes from a short William Blake poem of the same title.

At times, Sanji blessed the fact that he was a light sleeper. It got him out of potential trouble. For example, he quickly learnt that he always had to be alert if he was going to dodge his shitty old man’s swift kicks if he over slept for the morning rush at the Baratie. He certainly made sure that he’d never over sleep again. However, it does mean he gets greatly less sleep than anyone else in his crew. He blearily blinks himself into reality once again for another morning of doing what he loved most. He rubs at his eyes and slowly brings himself to sit up, stretching his back and arms out that grew stiff from sleep. He takes a moment, as he always does, and looks over his ridiculous crew. The men share a room away from the women. There are times that they won’t all sleep in their dorm. Sometimes Chopper will fall asleep in his infirmary, whoever is on watch that night might nap in the crow’s nest, and maybe Franky or Usopp will have fallen asleep in their workshops. Then there were Brook, Luffy and that damn Marimo who seem to be able to fall asleep anywhere. That particular phenomena is something he’ll never quite understand. He spies Luffy and Usopp laying on top of each other and Franky a little further away snoring up a storm in the corner. He guess the other three are dotted around the ship whilst his lovely ladies were still fast asleep in their own room.

With years of practiced grace, he hops out of his hammock and gently pads across to the door to let himself out. He strolls along the grassy deck, enjoying the feeling of grass between his bare toes, as he heads to the bath room to shower and get ready for the day. He quickly checks the position of the moon and the slither of sun already peeking across the horizon and reasons that it is roughly 4 am. That means he only got 4 hours of sleep, if his calculations were correct. Sighing heavily and knowing he won’t get any more rest, he heads into the bathroom. Since he had plenty of time, he takes his time removing his clothes and getting the shower ready.

Once the shower is at a tolerable temperature, he steps into the spray. He groans a little as the warm water cascades over his head and down his back. He always has to start his day with a nice refreshing shower or else he feels wrong. He starts to lather up his soap and diligently begins washing himself when he notices the dark bruise across his ribs. He gingerly touches the spot that Zoro had struck him just days before. He understood why his nakama hit him so hard, he could barely stand and was facing certain death against Kuma until Zoro knocked him out cold. But that stupid swordsman was in the same bad shape and then got himself all bloodied up. Really, what difference did it make whether it was him or not? He was willing to give up his life. It made sense in his head, the crew could always get another cook. He’s a dime a dozen. But getting someone like Zoro again would be impossible. Really, it made sense for him to d—

He shakes his head hard to rid himself of those thoughts and hugs his waist. He takes a moment and breathes deeply in through his nose for 8 seconds, holds his breath for 7 seconds and then releases his breath slowly over 10 seconds. He repeats this action until he was sure he had calmed himself down. He tries to make himself think rationally, knowing that was just his own anxieties crawling at the back of his mind. He reasons that, whilst he was right that it was easy to find another cook, that didn’t mean that that was his only role on the ship. He rubs at his eyes, already exhausting himself even though he has only just started the day.

Instead of thinking more about the events of Thriller Bark, he turns off the shower so as not to waste more water than he already had and fetches his towel. He dries off rather quickly and gets dressed in a pair of cargo shorts, a simple shirt that he leaves open, some sandals and a pair of sun glasses. Nami had said the day before that they were nearing a summer island and that it was likely going to be very hot (he silently apologised to dear Chopper who he knew was going to suffer the most) so he figured casual was the best way to go this day.

He makes his way down to the kitchen to make a start on breakfast. He figured that, after such crazy festivities and banquets at Thriller Bark, he’d do something more continental today with a large range of cheeses, fruits and meats for his crew to pick and choose. And it required less effort as he was feeling a little tired that morning. Not that he’d let anyone else know. To the others, he was right as rain as always. He just…didn’t like making people worry. Not when he knew he could handle it.

He sets about slicing the different meats he graciously received from Lola’s crew and places them in a decorative semi-circles on giant platters. He cuts up the fruits in different shapes; stars, hearts, circles and more, for a bit of variety whilst the left over pieces of fruit he would save for a lovely parfait for the ladies. After cutting up the cheeses and bread to go with his meat and fruit selections, he also sets up a little cereal and juice bar at the end of their table for anyone still hungry or wanting something different. Finally, he sets about making some simple omelettes for everyone to enjoy and baking a hearty marble cake with a recipe he had been wanting to try out for a while. Enjoying the silence of the early morning, he grins as he gathers what he’ll need for this new recipe. One of his favourite things as a chef was experimenting with new recipes and how he could modify them for his friends.

He loses himself in the creation of his cake. Sometimes humming random tunes to himself, swaying and dancing around his kitchen as he has the time to do so on his own. He pops the cake into the oven and washes his hands before moving onto the omelettes. He whistles as he works, folding the eggs over to ensure a beautifully round and golden omelette.

He sets up the dinner table with cutlery and his incredible (if he does say so himself) breakfast, ready for the chaos that he knows will come. He checks the time on his cake and knows that it should be done soon. Just enough time for a cigarette! Glancing out of the window, he realises that the sun was now rising up in the sky and he reasons that the crew would be up very soon now. He takes out a cigarette and lights up as he wanders outside to the deck, wanting to enjoy the peaceful sea breeze before the peace was inevitably broken. These moments were always some of his favourite. Just him, the sky and the sea. Although, he can’t bear to look at the empty horizon for too long. As much as he adores the sea, adores the power it holds and the richness of its creatures…he also can’t help the panic that rises at the back of his throat when he remembers this very same view he saw one that god forsaken piece of shit rock he and his father were abandoned on. He closes his eyes at the memories threatening to ruin his peaceful morning, cursing how his past still made him feel so small. He does his breathing exercises again to calm himself down and takes a long drag from his cigarette. He knows smoking is a bad habit, Chopper has been trying since day one to help him get over it, but an addiction like that isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Besides, it’s a stressful life that he leads. He needs a vice to help him out or he’ll go insane.

He jumps at the crash he hears below him and the subsequent shouting that follows. He sighs, realising his time of peace is up and that he’d best get into the kitchen ready for the craziness to unfold. He turns and spots Robin and Nami making their way up to the kitchen, looking radiant as ever. In a flash, he spins towards them and kneels down, his arms stretched wide to them. “Oh, my miserable day has been over turned by the presence of my two gorgeous flowers!~~” Nami rolls her eyes at the display, slipping into the kitchen with a tired “Good morning, Sanji-kun” whilst his dear Robin graces him with a light giggle and a bright smile before waving and following her friend for breakfast. He stands with a fond smile, always eager to make his ladies feel appreciated and cared for.

He cups his hands over his mouth and shouts as loudly as he can “OI! IDIOTS! GET YOUR ASSES UP HERE FOR BREAKFAST!” Sure enough, he hears the sounds of hurried feet rushing out of the depths of the ship as the rest of the lads all head toward the food. He yells at Luffy and Usopp for making so much noise but concedes and follows them into the kitchen. Once he is certain that everyone has gathered and are eating, he sets himself up with a small plate of food, not feeling overly hungry that morning (besides it was easy to lose your appetite watching the way some of the guys ate their food). Nami had given him a strange look as she saw what little he had on his plate, and his heart soared knowing she cared about him but he just gave her a reassuring smile. Nami huffs and continues to eat her own food but he can tell she hasn’t dropped the subject entirely.

Once breakfast is over and mostly everyone has filed out of the room to prepare for the upcoming island, he finds himself clearing up the messes left behind when he suddenly realises he isn’t on his own. He looks up at Nami, stationed by the sink and already cleaning some plates he had put there earlier to clean. His heart leaps into his throat. He’s not sure if it’s because of her beauty or because he is anxious (he reasons that of course it’s because of her beauty, she is his goddess after all) but he clears his throat with a slight cough before casually depositing more dirty dishes by the sink with a soft “I don’t mind taking care of the dishes myself, Nami-san. I wouldn’t want your delicate hands to be tainted by the plates.”  


Nami merely sighs and takes another plate that he had put down “I’ve cleaned plates before, Sanji-kun, and I’m bound to do it again. Besides, you always do this. Just focus on the lunch boxes you’re making for the trip around the island. You know what Luffy is like.” She dips the dirty plate into the warm soapy water and starts to scrub.

Sanji, quite taken aback by the response, twirls around proclaiming “Ah, my generous and sweet angel! Truly, I am not worth such generosity!” He expects to be hit for his silly outburst or at least laughed at…but nothing comes. Confused, he leans to look at Nami’s face. He’s surprised to find that it is scrunched up with a worried expression. He gently places a hand on her forearm, asking with a gentle whisper “Nami-san, what’s wrong?”  


Nami stops scrubbing the plate and looks at him seriously. It feels as if she is looking into the depths of his soul, trying to pull out some information he’s not aware of himself and it makes him panic for a brief moment. But then he calms himself down. This is his precious Nami-san he’s talking about. She’d never intentionally hurt him. But she’s certainly not happy about something. When she speaks, she says her words with a rehearsed, hushed tone “Sanji-kun, I can tell there is something you are keeping from the crew and I would like to know what it is…”

This shocks Sanji enough that he steps away from her. She can’t be insinuating…No. No, it’s okay. No one knows. There is no way she could know.

He takes a moment to regain his composure before smiling at her “I can assure you, my angel, for I do not have anything that I am hiding. Least of all from you!”

Nami clearly doesn’t like his answer. She dries her hands quickly and crosses her arms under her chest with a raised eyebrow. She sceptically inquires “Is that so? Then tell me why you’ve been waking up far earlier than normal? Where do you sneak off to when we disembark at islands? And why have you been eating less and less these days?” She taps her foot, obviously impatient. This topic must have been eating away at her for a while. She tilts her head slightly to look at him “If you’re going off for some time with the local women on the islands then fine, what you do with your free time is yours. But I know you’ve gotten some of the others to cover for you. I don’t want to think badly of you, but involving them in your lecherous business is unfair! Your habits have been worrying me lately as well, so explain them to me. I’ve made sure the food budget is big enough for _all_ of us, yes?” She finishes with a displeased huff, waiting for Sanji to talk to her.

Sanji isn’t sure what he could say to calm her down. With a slight blush, he turns his head to clear his throat. He thinks for a moment before deciding to go with a simple white lie “My dear, I’m the chef of this crew. I have to get up earlier in order to ensure everyone is fed. Granted, I have been eating a bit less, but Chopper assured me this would be normal for the medication I am on for my pain. And as for my disappearances…” He gets out another cigarette and starts to light it, speaking his words with practiced ease “The brand of cigs I like aren’t usually sold in normal corner shops so I go off in search for them. Besides…I know Chopper worries about my habit so I tend to buy them when he isn’t around. And I only ask them to lie on my behalf because I don’t want him trying to dissuade me. I’m sorry to have worried you like this, my flower. That was not my intention. I promise I will not lie to them anymore and to take better care of myself.” He holds her glare, willing her to believe him or at least drop the topic.  
  
Nami stares at him for a long time before clicking her tongue and exiting the kitchen, leaving Sanji to his own thoughts. In her mind, she reasons he’s not telling the _whole_ truth but she has no proof to call him out on his lies so she has to concede.

At least…for now.


	2. That's the thing about secrets...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji is worrying over Nami's confrontation, but it might appear that he has more to worry about.
> 
> Please read end notes.

The morning progresses peacefully. At least, as peaceful as life on the Thousand Sunny can be. Sanji is able to make up the many bento boxes for their lunch in time before the Summer Island is spotted by early afternoon. He sets the lunches out on the table for his crew and looks over his shopping list. Thankfully, due to the kindness of Lola’s crew, they have a substantial amount of food to last them for a while (if he can keep his pesky Captain’s hands at bay). However, he wants to pick up a few extra items for a specific recipe he’s been wanting to try out. This also means that he will have extra money leftover from the budget his sweet Nami allows him, so he’ll be able to get even more food next time!

The thought of his angel makes him pause with a frown. Their interaction earlier left him with a sour taste in his mouth. He’s certain that he hasn’t done anything to arouse suspicion on his behalf. But…Nami always was very observant. As a thief, he supposes she had to be in order to get the upper hand. For information and for the perfect timing for the crime, her observation skills would be paramount. Not only that but she has to be observant of the weather. She must be alert to any slight change. In a way, Nami is probably the most observant on the crew. So it’s no real surprise that Nami seems to have noted a change in Sanji’s behaviour recently. Or perhaps, she’s been watching him for a while. The thought leaves him a little queasy.

Sanji is appreciative of her concern. But this also means he has to be two steps ahead of her. He has to be more vigilant and paranoid, just so he can avoid any more suspicion. He sighs, dropping himself heavily onto the bench beside the dining room table. He can already tell he’s going to be more exhausted than usual. But the alternative scares him more than the dread of losing sleep.

In an attempt to distract himself, he folds the shopping list up and pockets the piece of paper. He stretches out his long arms above his head and arches his back. He lets out a soft groan as he feels more than hears his back click. He considers using his private allowance in order to get a massage whilst on this island if they offer that kind of service. Cooking forces him to be upon his feet at all times, bent over a pan or the oven. He wouldn’t have it any other way. Though, even with his daily training exercises and how capable he is on his feet, he is prone to some back issues. Especially after his experience on Drum Island. He winces at the memories of The Crazy Witch Doctor (as he so dubbed Doctor Kureha) who, rather unorthodoxly, healed him. As much as he loves Chopper, he does hope he doesn’t have to see her again.

Instead of dwelling on the past or things he cannot help, he instead sets about making flasks of tea for Brook, Robin and himself. The three of them share a fondness for tea and he has been excited to show off a new blend he found. It still confuses him how a skeleton can even _taste_ tea, let alone digest it. But he’ll just have to get used to the ridiculousness of his crew once more.

Before long, they arrive and dock at the Summer Island simple known as: Berry Island. Sanji makes sure that everyone has their meals. Even the stupid swordsman. As loathe as he is to admit it, he has been a bit more careful around Zoro since Thriller Bark. Despite the arguments and constant bickering, they are still Nakama. He cares about Zoro’s wellbeing, even if the idiot doesn’t care about his own health and safety. He knows that Zoro must know he’s been holding back his kicks and taunts. But, he guesses that Zoro appreciates the gesture more than the others coddling him or asking if he’s alright ten times a day. They have a silent understanding, one he will uphold. So, when he goes to give Zoro his lunch, he doesn’t kick him in the stomach like he normally would…but he does drop the box on his head (knowing Zoro would catch it quickly) whilst he was sleeping and called him Marimo before he dodges a well-aimed punch that was meant to hit his shoulder. Chopper yells at the seaweed man to “not undo my hard work, idiot!!” whilst Sanji slinks away. He’s already in a better mood after teasing their resident grump.

Once they have all filed off the ship and onto the docks (bar Usopp and Franky who, apparently, had repairs to do), they ask around to see how long the log pose will take to reset.

“Ah, sorry newcomers,” A grizzled old man answers, his voice rough with years of use “but I’m afraid that’s not an easy tell. Y’see, the position of this island is a bit tricky. Bugger’s right in the middle of some magnetic field from the World’s core, or some shit. Could take a couple of days…or a couple of years.”

No one was pleased to hear this.

And everyone made sure the old man knew this.

“Alright! Calm it down!” He rubs his face in a tired manner as the shouting subsided, clearly far too used to dealing with this reaction, “Listen, y’all came at a decent time. Depending on the time of year, the strength of the magnetic field fluctuates. It’s coming up to autumn, yeah? You’re probably lookin’ at a few weeks max. Now pay for your docking space and bugger off!”

They thanked the old man (Tak, was his name, apparently tired of being called Bearded Mystery Man by Luffy), a few of the oldest of the crew apologising for their behaviour before they paid the man. It was very difficult to get Nami to give up some of her treasure in order to pay, so Sanji dipped into his food budget. It wasn’t essential for him to have right now as they were already well-stocked, so he didn’t mind paying the man. He turned just in time to see his sweet flower watching him before quickly turning her head and walking after Robin. He sighs. Looks like he won’t be forgiven so easily.

They break off into different teams; the girls heading into the town to go shopping, Zoro and Luffy going off and exploring, Chopper and Brook heading out to check out the fields of different berries – hence the Island’s name – whilst Sanji went on his own to pick up the ingredients he wanted from his shopping list.

The Island itself was rather small, consisting of the town by the docks, several fields for the berries around the base of a mountain and a small forest on the other side of the Island. There were maybe a few hundred people living on the island, but it was bright and full of life. It’s a refreshing sight. After such doom and gloom from their previous location, Sanji welcomes the sight of such blessed normality. He’s not even bothered by the shrieks of the children at play or the mundane chatter of the people around him at the market.

And what a market this Island had to offer! There were some berries he’s never even seen before, fish he’d only heard of in passing. This was the thing that excited him about new islands, about new cultures and ways of living. He loved to take in the local cuisine, see what techniques they’d use and what styles of cooking they had. He was absorbed into a conversation about the berries he had seen with the kind vendor when he suddenly felt eyes on him. When he turned around, he spotted Nami and Robin sat at a table having a coffee. Robin seemed more interested in her book whilst Nami was staring at him with a curious look on her face. He gulped but managed a gentle smile her way before turning back to the vendor, his nerves slightly shaken.

He feels like he has been put under a microscope and Nami is trying to pick at his, arguably, very fragile mental state to see what’s under the walls he had carefully erected to keep people at bay.

Why now? Why is she so interested in him now? What had he done to rouse this kind of suspicion? Had he really been acting that differently? Something he said? He could not understand why what he did mattered. Why, why why why wh—

He is brought out of his thoughts when the kind vendor cautiously asks him if he is alright. He realises he must have stopped talking. Somewhat flustered, he reassures the salesperson that he is indeed alright, just the summer air getting to him. He pays them for the berries he’s picked up and wanders away from the direction of the girls, feeling more than a little on edge.

____________________________________________________________________

By the time he’s finished all of his shopping and put it all away, it’s early evening and the crew have far too much time on their hands. A very frustrated Luffy is grumbling and whining and flopping about on the deck “I’m booooooooorreeeeeeddd!! There’s nothing to do on this islaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnd!”

Luffy’s now pouting at anyone and everyone nearby because he desperately wants something to do. Sanji makes it a point not to look at him. He’s already fed his insatiable Captain nearly a whole third of the wonderful stock he was so proud of that he’ll likely have to go shopping again in only a couple of days. The thought has him chewing the end of his cigarette angrily.

So much for his food budget.

“I do believe I saw a tavern slightly further into the town on my stroll around with the Doctor, perhaps we could all go for a drink? Yohohoho~” Brook offers softly. Luffy is up on his feet once again and yelling about a party.

Zoro, already standing up, guffaws loudly “Well why didn’t you tell us earlier! They best have some good Sake.” He’s about to jump off the ship when his collar is snagged by robotic hand, making the green idiot choke slightly.

“Whoa, bro! You gotta slow down and wait for someone or else you’ll get SUPERRRR lost, moss dude!” Franky exclaims, dangling Zoro by his shirt with a grin, whilst Zoro is cussing him out and frankly acting like an angry cat towards the cyborg.

Nami claps her hands twice to interrupt the noise “Alright! That’s enough! We can go to the bar for some drinks and maybe question the locals a bit. Perhaps there’s something of value on this island we can snag.” Somehow her eyes turn to the shape of Bels and once again Sanji is in awe over the power of the girls’ tenacity. They’ve not even been there for half a day and she’s already thinking of treasure.

And it’s not long before they’re all deciding to go out for some drinks whilst Robin and Chopper opt to remain on the ship. The Summer season tires poor Chopper out easily whilst Robin is content to have a quiet evening. Sanji makes a mental note to find ways to help cool Chopper down as soon as possible. Maybe he can even ask around the island for any tips since many own pets and this island stays consistently extremely hot.

Sanji is already on his third drink, a pleasant buzz spreading throughout his body, by the time the rest of the crew are all making friends with the residents of the island. Franky and Brook have somehow joined in with the band that was playing at the bar, Luffy and Usopp are (unsurprisingly) dancing on the tables and that seaweed’s cousin is in the middle of a drinking contest and winning.

Before he can even wonder where his angel is, there’s a tap on his shoulder and he turns to see Nami with an almost guilty expression. He softly smiles at her “Hello there, Nami-san. Enjoying the evening so far?”

Nami relaxes an increment before sitting next to him at the bar, flagging the bartender down for another round. She sits silently beside him and he dare not break the silence right now. Mostly out of fear that this exchange, however little it is, might end. She takes a big gulp from her beer and hisses at the slight burn that coats her throat when she swallows the drink. Tapping her fingers against her cheek as she leans on her hand, she sighs. Sanji strains to hear her over the enthusiastic music but he can manage well enough “Sanji-Kun, I…I wanted to apologise for seeming nosy. I did not mean to freak you out at all, that wasn’t my intention. But…well, I just get so frustrated sometimes!”

She turns to look at him fully, those big brown eyes of her pinning him to his seat. “It’s not like you have to tell us your life story, but I’ve noticed that we barely know anything about you! You don’t tell us your worries or when you’re struggling. I can guess your likes and dislikes. I might even be able to figure out where you’re from if I check over some maps of North Blue. But other than what we’ve seen, we don’t know you! I swear you’re more guarded than Robin was when she first came to us!” She leans forward at that point, making Sanji unconsciously lean back. He tries to subtly do his breathing exercises but her blunt observations of him are making it hard to concentrate. She’s apparently not done as she softly speaks again “I don’t want to put you on the spot but…I’m worried. We are your Nakama, right? We’re family…so why do you keep us at an arm’s length all the time? What are you hiding?”

And Sanji…Well, there’s nothing he can really say to that.

Nami has unequivocally stripped him bare and pointed out the holes in his carefully constructed wall. Not even that, it’s more like she’s pointed out the great big sheet he had been using to hide the wall around his heart.

Sanji feels like a fish out of water and someone has just told him to climb a tree. He can barely even remember to breathe let alone climb a tree! He clears his throat and fiddles with his cigarette’s, buying himself some time as he pulls one out before opening his mouth to answer when he’s cut off.

Nami pinches the bridge of her nose “Don’t. I know you’re probably gonna lie or something. Just…remember that we’re your friends, not your enemy. Think about it, okay?” She then stands up, leaving her now finished drink on the bar (when had she even finished that?) before patting his shoulder gently and leaving him in the shit storm of his own thoughts.

He shakily tries to light his cigarette, but his lighter isn’t starting. Damn thing must be jammed again. He really needs a new one, but this was from…

Why can’t he ever let go of the past?

He sighs, pocketing his cigarettes and lighter and, instead, downs the rest of his drink. He coughs against the burn that happens because it before standing up and exiting the bar. He tells himself that he just wants to get some air. That it was hot and stuffy, so he needed a break from the bar.

He knows that is a lie.

He doesn’t know how long he spends outside, leaning against the wall and staring at the stars, but he knows it must have been a while as his neck starts to ache and yet he can’t look away. The stars were always a source of comfort for the young chef. A constant even when everything else was slipping away from him. Even when he couldn’t see them, the stars would always be there.

A few more minutes pass by before he lowers his head after feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He looks around for whoever is watching him when he spots a bright set of eyes watching him from the alleyway across from him. The intoxicating emerald eyes stare back at him, crinkling with amusement when Sanji winks. A delicate hand gestures Sanji to follow and who was Sanji to deny such an invitation. He pushes himself off from the wall, hands in his pockets as he follows the attractive eyes down the alley.

Little did he know of the other set of eyes, more sinister eyes, watching as he disappeared into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for this super late update!!
> 
> Things have been pretty crazy on my end recently. I posted the first chapter and then I moved places, got a new (terrible) job, family drama, a few other traumatic experiences(TM) and then lockdown all happened pretty much on top of each other.
> 
> But still, I'm really sorry for leaving this for so long. I'm gonna be trying to update this much more regularly.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry if this chapter's flow and pacing are a bit rushed. I kinda just wanted to get this chapter out so I can kinda progress the story from here, the set up is pretty much done now. But yeah, this chapter might seem kind of awkward and I'm sorry about that. I need to get back into the swing of writing things.
> 
> Thank you for your patience guys!


End file.
